


Cyclone

by JaybieJarrett



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Flogging, Multi, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 01:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 4,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaybieJarrett/pseuds/JaybieJarrett
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A historical setting story based on an original work of mine told in vignettes.  In 1820's Boston , fifteen year old Tobias Tolliver, the son of a harsh and unforgiving naval commander, ends up wrapped up in on of his father's old rivalries.  Notorious pirate Captain Deadsoul  has a score to settle with 'Old Tolly' - by taking the only person left in the man's pathetic little family. (sixth chapter replaced)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Look I know I have a lot of stuff to write , but my brain has a way of locking on to what it wants to do. So this is just a little thing I started. Each chapter is a shortish snippet. Hopefully it'll add up to something big. But in the mean time it's just fun and an easy little thing.

It was a dreary Monday morning; rain was imminent in the sky.  All in all a miserable looking morning.  But this was nothing new for the young man living in an Estate in the northern end of Boston.  Tobias was the only son of the military captain Tybalt Tolliver, known to many a man familiar with the Navy as ‘old Tolly’.  Well the only _legitimate_ son, he didn’t doubt that his father had women on the side.  His mother had died soon after he was born.  Tobias himself had been a sickly child, a far cry from what his father thought a boy should be.  There was no doubt Tybalt wanted a son that could join the military and carry on the family reputation. 

Tobias got up with a groan as he heard the ticking of the grandfather clock.  His father wouldn’t stand for laziness.  “If Father is even here” he amended.  It was a blessing that his father was too pigheaded to retire.  Then Tobias would have to deal with him all day.  There was a brisk knocking at the door.  The nurse.  His aunt had talked his father into hiring a nurse after his mother died.  “Your stubbornness isn’t going to be the death of my nephew.  He’s your _only son_ for heaven’s sake” ‘My’ nephew, always.  

“Are you up yet, Tobias?”

“yar yar”  he yawned.  “ ”m getting there.”  He put on his glasses and reached for his walking stick.  “Is Father here?”

“No, he was called out on duty.  Are you decent?”  Tobias got up and pulled on an undershirt. 

“Decent” The moment he spoke the door burst open and she came bustling in fussing over his health.  Tobias liked to think he wasn’t that bad anymore.  He rolled his eyes but put up with the nurse as she checked him for a fever. 

“You were coughing something awful last night.”

“It’s just a cold.”  He muttered.

“Well, ‘just a cold’ can turn into ‘on your deathbed’ in a little more than a day, young man.”  He bit back his complaints.   “You know, Madam Simon would never let me live it down if you got ill.”    After the daily health check she started assisting him in getting dressed. Fussing aside he enjoyed Ms. Martha’s company far more than his father’s. 

“I expect I have some lessons for today.”   Tobias said, straightening his hair.  He had a habit of being very particular about his looks.  His governess would call it being vain.  But hell, he didn’t have strength going for him, so he might as well make sure he looked good. 

“Well….your governess was asked to take you over to your aunt’s.”He snapped to attention.

“What?”  Damn it.  Damn it all.  “Why?”

“Your father’s on quite a trip and she didn’t want you to be alone.”  She said.

“I’d much _rather_ be alone than with her cussed sons” he muttered fixing his cuff. Martha clucked her tongue.

“That’s quite enough from you Tobias Tybalt!  Madam Simon is very fond of you, you should be grateful.” As mothering as she was, his nurse was not above a sharp rebuke.  In childhood she had been the only one ‘allowed’ to spank him-at least when his father wasn’t around. He had also gotten quite a few mouthfuls of soap, having picked up salty language from his father. 

“Well what about her sons?  Alexander isn’t.  You don’t even like him.” he protested.   

“I just think he’s a bit of a rough character, same as your father is. ‘Tis a shame in such a young man.” Tobias kept his mouth shut not wanting to get himself in more trouble.  ‘ _He’s a devil is what he is’,_ he thought. 

Martha would encourage him to eat a full breakfast far more than he felt his stomach had room for.  The moment his governess arrived downstairs she drilled him on his knowledge of the states.  He stuttered through a mouthful of egg and oatmeal. 

“Swallow your food, boy” He was cowed before her. The worst she could do is whacking him with her ruler and giving one of her horrible lectures. She began to correct him and he tuned her out taking another bite of oatmeal.

“Tobias! Your father will expect you to know this” She gave a tug at his ear.

“Let the poor thing eat” Martha said. 

“Poor thing, indeed” the governess scoffed.  The two women only seemed to be peaceful about each other when the other wasn’t around. Tobias elected to ignore the tension and once he finished eating, wiped his mouth and secured his cap.

“Let’s just go then.” 


	2. Chapter 2

_Clip clop clip clop clip clop_

Tobias watched out the window during the quiet ride.  He had elected to sit next to his nurse rather than the governess who he knew would give him a good whack with her ruler if she thought he had his eye on a lady.  He had heard quite an earful the one time they passed by a seedier part of town and passed what looked like a bar.  Tobias, barely fourteen at the time, had his eyes on what had seemed to be a teenage prostitute.  She caught his eye and he gave what he had hoped looked like a friendly wave and the tip of the hat.  Certainly he intended to be a gentleman but the governess had misinterpreted his gesture.

Needless to say they tried harder to avoid that part of town. 

The rain began to fall and there was a crack of thunder.  Mothers and their children hurried to get home quickly. Tobias wheezed and coughed his breathing disrupted by the shock.

“Breath, dear…deep breaths…” Once he got ahold of himself, they were arriving in front of the Simon home.

 His uncle Eli had been dead for quite some time now.  Tobias could scarcely remember him. All he knew was that his uncle had been a quiet…seemingly empty man who drank a lot when he was alone. 

Martha took out an umbrella and handed it to him.  “You can’t get yourself wet; dear you’ll catch a cold.” As they got out they were met by a doorman who escorted the three of them to the door with an umbrella of his own.    Tobias was careful not to let his walking stick slip on the wet ground.  He wondered why he used the thing still.  He hardly needed it in his own opinion…at least most of the time. He used it quite a bit after his father was finished with him.

“Toby!”  Just as he entered the door he found himself enveloped in Aunt Fiona’s arms.  Tobias stammered in protest as she held him close and pinched his cheeks.  He hated being called that.  One of the few exceptions to the rule was Elizabeth Coddington, the daughter of a man his father knew from work.  (She was already pledged to someone else, a dratted sailor). “Toby darling, you look flushed.” 

No Aunt Fiona, that wasn’t flush…or any kind of sickness. That was humiliation. Heaven above, how could the woman be so oblivious to the effect she had?  He heard the sound of chuckling.

“Hello Aunt Fiona” he murmured.  Behind her stood a looming dark haired figure giving off pipe smoke. Her younger son Devin would be at work, which meant…

Alexander.  Wonderful.  Just who he wanted to deal with. 

His older cousin was in the military as well, as a doctor.  A doctor with a particularly unforgiving bedside manner. Tobias had long suspected that Alexander didn’t just put up his patients’ discomfort, he enjoyed it.  “It’s _Tobias_ , Aunt Fiona”

“You’ll always be little Toby to me.” She said putting a gloved finger to his lips. She looked up in mild disapproval at her eldest.

“Alexander, take that thing outside when your cousin’s here.”   Alexander wasn’t too bothered by his mother’s disapproval.  He merely frowned and snuffed out his pipe. 

“Nice day isn’t it, _Toby_.” He plucked the cap off Tobias’s head and flicked it toward the harried doorman.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Tobias most definitely had other things in mind for today.

Martha and the governess dried off and the doorman led them off for some tea.  Aunt Fiona led Tobias to the sitting room and gave a butler orders to start up the fireplace and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.

“You like mint in your cocoa, don’t you darling?”

“Yes, thank you” Tobias had to admit aside from the embarrassing nicknames the attentions of his aunt were not so bad.  When he thought about the welcome he got from his father after his last departure, perhaps he would find something to enjoy.  Provided Alexander stayed out of the way.

“Just sit here and warm up, while I get it prepared.”   The fire combined with the blanket made him feel warm enough that he could curl up and sleep. His aunt’s fat cat came and nuzzled him.  Aunt Fiona came back in with a cup of cocoa.  He enjoyed the taste so much he didn’t mind when his aunt affectionately tousled his hair. 

“You think spoiling him will do him any favors?” Alexander sneered watching the display.  Tobias had to hide a smirk.  He was jealous, oh this was _delicious_.

“With that father of his, I’d say the poor boy could do with a little bit of indulging.  The man’s grown cold since his wife died.”  Fiona gave her son a sharp look. “Besides, don’t act like I didn’t do it for you and your brother.” The look of indignance on Alexander’s face made Tobias laugh, which only sent him into a choking fit. 

He noticed that Alexander looked quite satisfied with this. 

 


	4. Chapter 4

“For heaven’s sake Alexander, _do something_!”  Aunt Fiona put a hand on his shoulder.  Tobias felt his chest burning as he coughed.  He hoped coughing would clear up the air ways but it only led to more coughing and wheezing.  He could feel his airway constricting. He didn’t hear the man leave but after several minutes of gasping for breath.

The man came back and gruffly shoved a small vial of something at him.

“Drink this” Desperate for relief, Tobias pushed aside his reservations about trusting Alexander and gulped whatever it was down gratefully.  The first thing he noticed as the coughing stopped was feeling horribly dizzy.

He woke up finding himself on a bed.  Alexander stood over him, holding his glasses and placing them aside.  “The side effects should wear off in time.” 

“You had to give me something that would mess me up did you?”  Tobias grumbled as people filed out.

“Would you rather be dead?” His cousin raised an eyebrow.  He took a set in a chair nearby and sipped from a glass of something.  ‘I could have survived that’ Tobias thought ruefully.

“You’re not going to sit here and watch me are you?”

“Of course I am.” Alexander took another sip.  “It’s my responsibility as a medical professional.”

“Oh _God_ ”

“Watch your language.” He was enjoying this far too much.  “We wouldn’t want to upset your nursemaid now would we?” Incensed, Tobias hissed something that he had heard from one of his father’s men.  “I can always find a use for one of my syringes.”

It was going to be a long day. 


	5. Chapter 5

With little else to do Tobias eventually fell asleep.  It started with him closing his eyes and turning away from his hated cousin. He didn’t doubt Alexander had the fortitude to stick by and watch him. Especially if he knew it bothered him.

Time passed by and the first thing he woke up to was the sound of voices talking.

“About time you got home.”

“At least I’m working.”

“Ah, not true.  The reason I’m in here is because little Toby got sick.  I made a house call.” Devin met his brother with a skeptic snort.

“Doesn’t count as a house call if it’s your own blamed house, fool.”  Tobias tried to hide a snicker.  He didn’t mind Devin’s cheek when it was directed at Alexander.

“Ahhh, the patient is up.”  Tobias’s entire body froze.  He quickly covered himself with blankets. Alexander strode over and ripped them off.  It chilled Tobias to the bone that look in his eyes as he smiled down pleasantly.  “Now, we’ll need to take a bit of blood.”

‘ Alexander Simon was a devil indeed.‘

“Y-you can’t do that…you’re just….” Alexander whipped out a syringe “AUUUUUUUUGH AUNT FIONAAAAAAAAAA !”

Devin shook his head in disgust. “I hope you know that you are a horrible man.”

Alexander scoffed and put his needle away.   “I’m only preparing this great gullible child for life. The real reason that he’s not fit for the military is because he’s auntie’s spoiled little babe.” He took up his bag, stashed a book in it and took up his drink.   “And if you’re going to judge, I should remind you that you have plenty of sins to confess.  “As he passed he let a bit of his drink splash towards his brother.  Tobias could see Devin seething, as Alexander sauntered away rather pleased with himself.

“He’s drinking.  Damnation.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

“He’s terrible either way” Tobias said sourly.  Devin snorted and dabbed a handkerchief at his shirt. 

“And he’s going to keep teasing you so long as your response is to hide behind our mother like a child. “  he said. 

“Can’t she control him though?” Tobias demanded. 

“He’s not going to do anything terribly risky if he thinks he can get caught.”

“….you saw that look in his eyes, you don’t think he’ll do it one day?” Tobias said. Devin rolled his eyes. 

“I know Alexander is dangerous thank you very much.  But I should think I can read him better than you” he said.  While Tobias hated Alexander for being the devil’s own, he disliked Devin for the fact that the man could make him feel like nothing with a few words. Probably the only way Devin could live with a brother like Alexander.   “So are you going to be a layabout all night?”

“I’m not a layabout…” Tobias gave him the sharpest glare he could muster. 

“You’ve been sleeping a good portion of the day I hear.”

“Because your damned brother gave me poison” Yet, still Tobias groped around for his walking stick and slid out of the bed.

“Is your leg still bad then?” Devin said.  Tobias was cautious about his answer.

“Some days the leg, some days my back ,some days whatever else there is” Devin nodded.  Tobias dreaded the response because sometimes Devin was far less sympathetic to ‘moaning about one’s woes’.  He also had things between he and his father that he didn’t want to talk about. Things that were, to him, unpleasant realities of their relationship. The older man merely quirked an eyebrow. “I see. Does the nurse know about these aches?” Tobias shrugged. 

“They’re little things not worth bothering about.” He left the room in search of the study, which contained books that he had loved to drown himself in since he learned to read.  He had a goal to read every single one of them which he had still yet to fulfill. 


	7. Chapter 7

Miles away out at sea the East Wind was on its course. Tybalt Tolliver watched his crew and barked orders, putting his son out of his mind for the time being.  The boy would be better off and out of trouble staying with his sister and her boys.  Granted he didn’t like the way Fiona was prone to indulge but at least he had a way of knowing that the boy would stay alive.  He hadn’t told Tobias about the strange report that he had gotten, it’s not like Tybalt hadn’t gotten threats before. 

The report wasn’t an explicit threat but an implied one. No,  this monster of a man didn’t need to send a threat, his presence was enough of one.

Deadsoul had been hanged.

He was supposed to be dead.

The matter had been in the back of Tybalt’s mind for quite some time, lingering.  He wasn’t certain what he would do about it, as many places recognized Deadsoul as a dead man.  A pirate that Tybalt himself had caught.  People would think he’d gone round the twist if he claimed Deadsoul was still alive.  It would only fuel the people that suggested his retirement. 

He carried on taking care of his business commanding his crew.  That night saw him watching over the punishment of a young crew member who had dared to talk back and correct him.  He had the young man flogged with other members of the crew watching.  Once the forty lashes was done , people thought the punishment was finished.  Not quite.

“Bring him to me”

The brig masters dragged the bleeding, shaking man forward.   He started to slowly get up. 

“Stay down, Forge” He ordered.  “I want you to beg for forgiveness…”

The startled young man stuttered through a clumsy apology.  Not good enough.

“Forty more.”  The man started shaking.

“n-no-no, I can do better…PLEASE….PLEASE”  He begged, pleaded, and cried.  Pathetic.  He would have to learn.  The others watching seemed uncomfortable and the color faded from the face of the newer recruits.  Tybalt did this every now and then; physical punishment and public humiliation were the best way to make people remember.

“I will expect no less than absolute obedience and the _highest_ respect my position calls for. Is that perfectly clear?”

“Yes sir!”  In the back of his mind he remembered a similar scene playing out between him and his father.  The man had instilled his ideas of duty and responsibility, painfully, in him just as his own father had done before him. Tybalt learned quickly that tears only caused pain.  That one earned a position of respect when they deserved it, and then they had to protect it.  He had mastered his position in the Navy, but he hadn’t quite trained Tobias yet. 

Once the display was over ,Tybalt returned to his quarters and had himself a drink before he retired for the night.

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Morning came and found Tobias asleep on a chair in the study with a pile of books nearby.  He hadn’t even realized it was storming that night.  He awoke with a start as the door opened, and scrambled to start gathering the books up. 

“You’re acting like a guilty man” Alexander noted with amusement in his eyes. He picked up one of the books Tobias dropped and flipped through it, raising an eyebrow. “Oho! I see why….been having yourself a good time?” Tobias’s face burnt and he felt as if he could have died of the embarrassment. He had a nasty feeling that Alexander would hold it over him, what he had been found reading. 

“I didn’t get around to that one.”  He murmured trying to act innocent.

“Like hell you didn’t!” Alexander’s retort was sharp, but full of amusement rather than anger. He frowned thoughtfully, turning the pages, “I have to question your taste, there’s much better than this if you really look for it.”

“I don’t want to look at the depraved rubbish that you’d like!”  Tobias snapped, rather flustered. 

“Of course not, you’re just an overly curious schoolboy.  All it takes to get you going is a book on the female anatomy.”  He smirked and put the book back on the shelf.  “Had anyone in mind while you were …ah ‘looking’?”

“Stop being lewd” Tobias sputtered. He buried himself in a fiction novel.  “You’re the last person I’d tell any such thing.”

“I don’t know why, after all I’m a doctor…I’d probably know the best books” Alexander gave an insufferably smug grin.  Curiosity pulled down Tobias’s caution.  He didn’t say anything. “All you have to do is ask…”Part of him knew this could be a trick, but the other part of him burned with curiosity.  He’d never really know, after all….Alexander _was_ a doctor. His mind swam with all the possbilities of what forbidden secrets those books might hold.  He knew it was a dirty and sinful thing to desire but he just had to know...for intellectual purposes perhaps.  

“….which books?” 

“So you were, were you?” Alexander said.  He clicked his tongue.  “For shame, what would your aunt think?”

“YOU FILTHY-“Tobias couldn’t think of a word strong enough. It was a trick!  Just when he thought Alexander might not be that bad.


	9. Chapter 9

Alexander’s laughter could be heard over Tobias’s stream of haphazard swears.  He walked by roughly ruffling the boy’s hair. The man had secured himself a permanent place on the boy’s ‘hate list’.  There were some things that Tobias wouldn’t tolerate teasing for.  He also cursed himself for falling for it.  He should have known…should have known Alexander would sink to any level to torment him.

“Ah, but don’t worry, I won’t tell Mother your sordid, sinful secrets.  It’s just between us, hm?” 

That did nothing to ease Tobias any.  Alexander probably knew how to torment a person with an untold secret.

“I shall never speak to you again.” Tobias said, looking away.

“You’re quite ladylike in your anger” Alexander spoke the insult as if he were impressed.  Tobias’s fingernails dug into his hands and made an angry hissing noise.  He stumbled over another stream of insults and had to take a moment to breathe before he worked himself into a fit like yesterday.  The door opened and Devin came in looking serious.

“Alexander! We need to talk….there’s been some alarming news.”  The older brother quickly took a serious demeanor.  He completely ignored Tobias as he followed Devin to the door.

“Wha-….what news” Tobias’s heart plummeted and he got up without the walking stick.  “I-is it about Father?” 

“It’s none of your concern, Tobias.  This is an adult matter.” The two left closing the door behind them, talking in hushed voices.  He didn’t care what they said, to his knowledge there was nothing else he could conceive it would be about. He was fifteen, why would they hide it from him? 


	10. Chapter 10

Tobias followed the faint voices he heard from the men, and eventually his aunt.  There was another voice he didn’t quite remember the owner of. He didn’t waste longer than a few moments searching his memory. He cared far more about information than the niggling recognition. He heard someone demand how the stranger got this information.  The man - Tobias was sure it was a man- muttered something about informants in the Navy.  

“So what makes them so sure it _is_ Deadsoul?” Devin sounded frustrated from panicked voices speaking over him. Always spoken over, perhaps that’s why he was so very much the silent type amongst company.  “What’s more why would Uncle Tybalt listen to them?”

He knew it! He knew it was about his father somehow.  The indignant fury of being lied to burned up in him like a flame.  But he continued to listen; he wanted to get the whole picture.

“Because, Tybalt is an old military man, when you get up so far in years and see so much blood, you start to get paranoid.” Alexander said, “It’s typical”  

“There’s paranoid and then there’s trying to protect your son from ghosts.  Tybalt watched Deadsoul die  himself.  Why are we even talking about _this_ when we could be talking about the fact that our uncle is obviously slipping?”  Always the rational one, Devin. 

“Ol’ Tolly innit the only one ‘o’s swearin’ ‘e saw the ol’ devil” the unfamiliar voice said, “There’s been a few other sailors, young fellows too, ‘o’ve been chatterin’ about pirates”

“Well, it’s not like not leaving your son alone is an irrational notion either” Tobias could just see Alexander’s sneer in his mind.  “It’s something the old goat is wise to do anyhow.”

“That old goat is still sharp, young man” Aunt Fiona said, “if there are criminals about who might want revenge- maybe some family member of that man…”

“A brother?  With all due pardon, it’s _Deadsoul_ madam…” the stranger said.

“Yes, yes I know what his cronies call him, what does that have to do with anything?”

“I think what he means is that if Deadsoul had a brother, he would have killed him” Alexander was more in the know of military gossip than anyone.  Tobias remembered all the frightening stories of pirates that had been told to him by grizzled navy men when he was young. 

“Oh that’s just an urban legend” Martha naturally piped in.  “A bunch of sensationalist poppycock raised up to make a legend out of an old criminal.  Deadsoul was only a man, no more, no less.” She would always scoff at the tales his father’s men told him of pirates.

“Well, pirates are known to dip their fingers in some funny things” Aunt Fiona said. “You never know which pirates have went and talked to witch doctors in the Caribbean.    They’ve been known to have their ships blessed by them.” She as a daughter in the Tolliver family would know all about that.  Tobias doubted that his father would tell her any such things, but his friends would.  He had a theory that his aunt had been the kind to try and play with the boys when she was a girl. He didn’t think his grandfather knew very much about raising daughters and he knew his grandmother passed quite early.

“and you actually believe in that nonsense?” Martha said, “and here I thought you were a church going woman.” 

“I am but that doesn’t mean my mind is closed.  Legends have some basis in truth.” 

“Tshch! Well I won’t buy any of this nonsense, makin’ a scoundrel of a man out to be any more.”

“Well, this scoundrel will be after Tobias if he is out and about”

“He’d be a right fool to risk his neck.” 

“i-if ‘e kin get away from a hangin’ I’d think he might risk it.”  The stranger said.  “You’d best keep your eye on Tolly’s boy.” Tobias started to slip away until felt his clothes get caught on something.  He struggled to get the article that was caught away and wound up knocking the thing over.  He didn’t have time to mutter a curse before rushing away.  He didn’t want anyone to catch him even though, in his mind he had every right to listen. The last thing he heard them chattering about was his father and his mental health. 


	11. Chapter 11

Tobias quickly made his way back to the study and he buried himself in books trying to make it look as if he had been there the entire time.  He buried himself into a rather dull book about navigation.  He had to admit it was a weak cover, a lot of people in the family knew of his lack of interest in pursuing his father’s career.

Surely there were more peaceful jobs he could go into, things that he had more interest in.  Things that wouldn’t be a threat to his already ailing health.  

Sure enough in time he found himself about to fall asleep, he could understand the text but it all seemed like dull blathering.  He soon tossed it aside moving along to another; lucky for him they were still talking.  They didn’t even notice that he had listened in.  He smirked a little.  He continued to read, resting into a good fiction book before the door opened.  Tobias involuntarily froze hearing Devin’s voice and had to remind himself that the man would have confronted him immediately if he suspected him.

“Tobias, Mother has fixed an early supper, your presence is requested.” Tobias set his book aside and followed.  As he entered the dining room they all looked up and stopped talking when he arrived.  He caught a few bites of conversation as he walked the halls.

“…frail….or just lazy… “he heard Alexander say, “Just give me a few moments and I can prove he can run without that damn cane-” Multiple rebukes stopped him speaking.   Tobias felt his blood boiling. 

“Don’t rise to it” Devin said, “If he gets a reaction out of you, he’ll never stop.”

“Can’t I just-“

“No…trust me.  I’ve learned to live with him, if he sees any reaction, he’ll know what he has to do.”  It made Tobias wonder, what kind of torments and teasing did Devin endure growing up?  As they entered the room Fiona and Alexander quieted. Alexander was smirking and had an eyed on Tobias, waiting for reaction.  Tobias felt his heart pound, but he noticed the warning glance Devin was giving him. 


End file.
